Bench-top time of flight mass spectrometer

Abstract

An assembly for a mass spectrometer, comprising a housing (106) and a Time of Flight analyser (110), wherein the housing (106) is configured to enclose at least the Time of Flight analyser (110), and the Time of Flight analyser comprises a pusher assembly (120) and a flight tube (160), wherein the Time of Flight mass analyser (110) is cantilevered from the housing.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An assembly for a mass spectrometer, comprising a housing and a Time of Flight analyser, wherein the housing is configured to enclose at least the Time of Flight analyser, and the Time of Flight analyser comprises a pusher assembly and a flight tube, wherein the Time of Flight mass analyser is cantilevered from the housing;
 wherein the Time of Flight analyser comprises a support assembly, and the pusher assembly and flight tube are mounted to the support assembly, wherein the support assembly is cantilevered from the housing; 
 wherein the support assembly comprises a main body, and the pusher assembly and flight tube are configured to mount to the main body, wherein the support assembly further comprises a connecting member located at an end of the main body and configured to fasten to the housing, such that the main body is cantilevered from the housing via the connecting member; and 
 wherein the connecting member comprises a horseshoe or U-shaped bracket, wherein the connecting member comprises a base portion and at least two arm portions defining the horseshoe or U-shaped bracket. 
 
     
     
       2. An assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the connecting member comprises one or more apertures configured to receive a fastener for fastening the connecting member to the housing. 
     
     
       3. An assembly as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the connecting member comprises at least four apertures configured to receive a fastener for fastening the connecting member to the housing. 
     
     
       4. An assembly as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the four apertures are spaced apart from each other such that they correspond to four corners of a square. 
     
     
       5. An assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the main body of the support assembly is connected to or meets the connecting member at the base portion, such that the arms of the horseshoe or U-shaped bracket extend in a direction away from the main body. 
     
     
       6. An assembly as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the arms of the horseshoe or U-shaped bracket extend substantially perpendicular to the main body, such that the horseshoe or U-shaped bracket and the main body substantially form an L-shape. 
     
     
       7. An assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the main body and connecting member are arranged substantially at a right angle with respect to each other. 
     
     
       8. An assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the flight tube hangs from a cantilevered portion of the support assembly. 
     
     
       9. An assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the Time of Flight analyser is mounted and/or fastened to the housing using one or more fasteners, and the fasteners are made of a substantially thermally and/or electrically insulating material. 
     
     
       10. An assembly as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the thermally and/or electrically insulating material comprises ceramic or plastic. 
     
     
       11. An assembly as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the thermally and/or electrically insulating material comprises polyether ether ketone (“PEEK”). 
     
     
       12. An assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the Time of Flight analyser further comprises a reflectron, wherein the reflectron comprises fasteners configured to mount the reflectron to the flight tube, wherein the fasteners are made of a substantially thermally and/or electrically insulating material, so as to provide thermal and/or electrical isolation of the reflectron from the flight tube. 
     
     
       13. An assembly as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the Time of Flight analyser is mounted and/or fastened to the housing using only fasteners made of a substantially thermally and/or electrically insulating material. 
     
     
       14. A mass spectrometer comprising an assembly as claimed in  claim 1 . 
     
     
       15. An assembly for a mass spectrometer, comprising:
 a housing and a Time of Flight analyser, wherein the housing is configured to enclose at least the Time of Flight analyser, and the Time of Flight analyser comprises a pusher assembly and a flight tube, wherein the Time of Flight mass analyser is cantilevered from the housing so as to horizontally extend from the housing to a free end; 
 wherein the pusher assembly comprises a pusher electrode arranged at a first end of the pusher assembly, wherein the pusher electrode is configured to receive ions in an ion beam, and wherein the pusher electrode is configured to accelerate the ions in the beam orthogonally to their direction of travel and into the flight tube.